MJ Fox Foundation researching possible higher Parkinson’s risk for Jews

News

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 15 April 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

The incidence of mutated genes that can develop into Parkinson’s disease in Jews is being researched by The Michael J Fox Foundation.

The biggest genetic indicator of Parkinson’s is 10 times more prevalent in Ashkenazi Jews than in the general population, research has revealed.

A new global study will track how often mutated LRRK2 genes – which are present in 10 per cent of Ashkenazim – develops into the disease. A second mutated gene called GBA was also found to be more common in this ethnic group. A saliva test can show whether a patient has these mutated genes.

Gemma Loebenberg, a specialist at the National Institute of Health Research, which leads this investigation, said: “People who have one of those genes have a 50 per cent chance of passing it to their children.”

She called on Jews with Parkinson’s, or who have relatives with the condition, to volunteer for the study.

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Global update

Dave Clark marches for a Parkinson’s cure

The former sports commentator’s latest fundraiser for Parkinson’s

Reimagining Parkinson’s healthcare: a patient-focused plan

A recent report suggests eight ways to improve Parkinson’s treatment

Greek-inspired courgette and aubergine vegetarian moussaka

This vegetarian moussaka uses tofu or seitan as meat replacements

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Researchers in the US have found that people with Parkinson’s disease who experience loneliness may be at an increased risk for severe symptoms related to the condition. As part of the study – published in the medical journal NPJ Parkinson’s Disease – researchers collected information from 1,500 people with the condition between 2014 to 2019. Those who reported being very lonely were also less likely to exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet – and more likely to experience a lower quality of life. Dr Indu Subramanian, neurologist and author of the study, said that the team were “surprised” by some of the results and that “one of the most detrimental things is actually being lonely”. The negative impact of loneliness on the severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms, she added, was as large as the positive impact of exercise. In light of Covid-19 and the resulting social isolation, the research…

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Researchers from the Netherlands have found a link between tremor symptoms and how dopaminergic medication impacts learning abilities in Parkinson’s disease. Many people with Parkinson’s become sensitive to learning through rewards due to a decrease in dopamine in the brain. As part of a new study – published in the scientific journal Brain –researchers assessed 43 tremor-dominant and 20 non-tremor dominant people with Parkinson’s while they were on and off dopaminergic medication. The results showed that in people with Parkinson’s who do not experience tremor, dopaminergic medication improves the ability to learn from rewards – and in those with tremor, the medication has no impact on reward learning. Rick Helmich, co-author of the study and a neurologist at Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands, said: “Whether someone experiences tremor or not might therefore potentially have a significant predictive value regarding the effectiveness of medication in the cognitive domain. However, more…

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

A study by scientists in Sweden has suggested that women who eat a ‘Mediterranean diet’ at middle age could have a lower risk of Parkinson’s later in life. The report, published in the Movement Disorders journal, used dietary information from more than 47,000 women aged 29 to 49, recorded between the early 1990s and 2012. They looked at how closely the women adhered to a Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP), which is high in foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, unsaturated fats and legumes. They then compared the information with data from the Swedish National Patient Register to find out whether participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The researchers found that those with a high adherence to the diet had a 46% lower risk of being diagnosed with the condition compared to those with a low adherence, concluding that “higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet at middle age was associated with…

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

MJ Fox Foundation researching possible higher Parkinson’s risk for Jews

News

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 15 April 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Global update

Dave Clark marches for a Parkinson’s cure

Special reports

Reimagining Parkinson’s healthcare: a patient-focused plan

Recipes & Nutrition

Greek-inspired courgette and aubergine vegetarian moussaka

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

{title}

Subscribe

MJ Fox Foundation researching possible higher Parkinson’s risk for Jews

News

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 15 April 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Global update

Dave Clark marches for a Parkinson’s cure

Special reports

Reimagining Parkinson’s healthcare: a patient-focused plan

Recipes & Nutrition

Greek-inspired courgette and aubergine vegetarian moussaka

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in